He’s preparing for a vigorous session of posing on the bed! According to Tabs, it takes years to perfect the art of looking simultaneous sultry and disinterested. Copyright Karen of Makeup and Beauty Blog: Makeup Reviews, Beauty Tips and Drugstore Beauty Finds | Read the full article

To the uninitiated, spotting the differences between the new NYX Matte Bronzers and the many other compact bronzing powders currently on counters is like trying to tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi blindfolded without tasting either one.

In other words, it’s tough.

After all, like most of the bronzers vying for our attention this summer, these new ones from NYX promise to do the same things — deliver a natural-looking, honey-like glow for your skin.

But if MAC is trying to rule the department store market with their Pro Longwear Bronzing Powders, NYX is going after drugstore divas and budget-minded babes with their five new Matte Bronzers.

At $9 each, the prodigious 0.33-ounce pans shout “BARGAIN!” from their perches in drugstore makeup aisles. For the price of one MAC Pro Longwear Powder, you could get two of these from NYX and still have enough change left over for a drugstore ice cream cone (do you like mint chocolate chip-).

I’ve been wearing three of the five shades this week, and impressed doesn’t come close to describing how I feel. Blown away is more like it.

Clockwise from the lower left: Medium, Deep and Light

None of that “BS” Oompa-Loompa orange business here. No way. The golden russet glow these bestow upon skin is worthy of beach barbeques and pool parties.

Very long beach barbeques and pool parties.

How long-

Well, starting with that first buttery cob of sweet corn, they last past the late-night singalongs and woozy revelations (like “S’mores are so genius!” and “Whoever invented nude wedges deserves a medal!”), and all the way until you’ve said your goodbyes before packing up the cooler to head home.

Say “howdy” to the NYX Matte Bronzers

For quick minimalist summer makeup looks, bronzers can be a great addition (or change) to your routine.

Swatches from the left: Light, Medium and Deep

Pourquoi- you ask.

Because in terms of effort and effect, they’re all about getting big bang (effect) for your buck (effort).

Lately, what I’ve been doing after filling in my brows and curling my lashes, is applying NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer followed by either NYX Matte Bronzer in Medium or MAC Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder in Nude on Board.

I apply them wherever the sun would naturally fall upon my face, like across my forehead, down the bridge of my nose, on my chin and along the tops of my cheek bones.

One swipe of a nude gloss like LORAC’s Raoul (a good match for medium and dark skin tones) or Illamasqua’s Intimacy (looks fab on lighter lasses), and you’re done.

PRICE: $9 eachAVAILABILITY: Available now at drugstores and nyxcosmetics.comMAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A+ (just an all around great product)

Sleigh bells ring… (yep, even in May)

I had to share about this band I just discovered that I’ve been obsessing over listening to on my runs! They’re called Sleigh Bells.

No, really. Sleigh Bells. Like Santa’s ride.

Their music is…I’m not sure how to describe it. It’s like a grungy guitar-driven rock anthem with hip-hop undertones.

Picture angry cheerleaders swinging chains and bats in the air to fire up the crowd at a riot.

LOL! I like to walk around the mall by my house imagining this song (Infinity Guitars) playing in the background…

And if you ever want to feel LIKE A BOSS, or need something to propel you through your sprints, there’s also Tell ‘em.

You’re strolling across the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris on a crisp, clear spring day when you see her standing by the railing, a shy smile on her lips, her hair swept in a chic chignon. A scarf is draped effortlessly around her neck, and she’s holding a bouquet of violets by her side.

She pauses to take in the City of Light and the River Seine below, leaning against the railing with her hands tucked beneath her chin and staring off into the distance, her eyes faraway and dreamy.

Ah, you know that look…the look of first love, when the mere thought of your beloved awakens every cell in your body with a tingling that begins at your toes and works its way up through your spine.

A breeze turns toward you, bringing with it an intoxicating aroma of vanilla, rose, musk, black currant berries and violet.

The girl breaks from her reverie, caught by your gaze, and smiles warmly. You return the feeling, knowingly, as you pass her along the bridge, recalling another time, so many years ago, when you, too, stood in almost the same spot, basking all-too-briefly in the same glow with your American writer, so tall and beautiful, with his brown hair and hazel eyes.

Whatever happened to him- you wonder. Does he still think of you, like you think of him-

Almost across the bridge now, you close your eyes once again and breath deeply, drawing in as much of the scent as you can, letting it sweep you up in its loving embrace.

Another happy girl on the Pont des Arts bridge in Paris, 2005

Tocca Violette Eau de Parfum, $68

The latest addition to the Tocca family of fragrances

Inspired, Tocca says, by a whirlwind romance one spring in the 1940s between a young soldier on leave and a young girl at the fragrance counter of Le Bon Marche in Paris. Vibrant flowers bloom along the Champs-Elysees like first love awakens the spirit.

Violette lingers on my skin longer than many of the Tocca scents I’ve tried. I get between 8-10 hours.

I think it’s a little more sophisticated than Tocca’s last addition, Graciella. While both seem very feminine to me, Graciella reminds me of a carefree, small-town teenager to Violette’s young woman in her 20s, experiencing life and love in the big city.

If you like Tom Ford Violet Blonde, Marc Jacobs Daisy, Ralph Lauren Romance or Prada Infusion d’Iris, you might also like Violette.

PRICE: $68 for a 1.7-fluid-ounce bottleAVAILABILITY: Available now at Sephora stores and tocca.comMAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A

Because reading is FUN-damental

So, I was a little late jumping on the e-reader bandwagon, but now I’m fully on board!

El Hub was sweet enough to share his Kindle with me, so last week I borrowed it to read Bossypants, by Tina Fey, and it was so much fun!

I resisted ebooks because I didn’t think I’d ever get beyond missing the feeling of having a real book in my hands. I just love the heft of a real book, the smell of the paper (yes, I’m one of those weirdos who sniffs books in the library!) and the sound of the pages turning… There’s just something authentic and significant about real books, ya know-

Plus, I stare at phones and computer screens all day long, and I figured the last thing I’d want to do is stare at yet another glowing screen.

Turns out I was wrong.

I mean, I’ll always love printed books, of course, but ebooks are also pretty cool.

And the Kindle Fire’s screen doesn’t bother me as long as I turn the brightness way down…

That little finger swipe gesture to turn the pages- FUN! I can whip through the pages. Heck, I probably read faster on the Kindle than I can read a regular printed book, which is a very exciting prospect.

Shimmery bronzing powders in almost blush-like shades of luscious peach and pink aren’t exactly uncharted territory. Chanel, for example, has been there, done that, a few times before.

But NYX weaved quite a tapestry together with their three new Illuminating Face and Body Bronzers. By combining eminently flattering shades with a pearly finish and a soft, comfy texture, and then keeping the price well below department store, they created something greater than the sum of its parts.

All it took was a few swipes of Narcissistic (a beige), Chaotic (a golden peach) and Magnetic (a peachy pink) to get me hooked on all three.

The marketing material doesn’t say, but I wonder if NYX co-created them with Cher, because they are, after all, designed to “turn back time.”

How so-

By bestowing a natural radiant glow to the skin that also diffuses incoming light, helping skin appear softer and, or so I hope, younger.

Yeah…I can’t even begin to tell you how appealing that sounds now that 37 is officially less than two weeks away!

But seeing as how I can’t really stop this train I’m on, I’ve been doing my best to slow it down embrace the inevitable with positivity and panache.

Now, when people call me “ma’am,” I try to own that sh*t! — but that does not mean refusing a little makeup help along the way.

Like Fox Mulder with his aliens, I really want to believe, LOL!

What do you think- Do I look 10 years younger wearing Chaotic, my favorite of the three shades, up there at the top-

Okay, how about 5-

The NYX Illuminating Bronzers, clockwise from the lower left: Narcissistic, Chaotic and Magnetic

The new NYX Illuminating Face and Body Bronzers ($9 each)

New for summer 2012 and added to the NYX permanent line.

For a bronzer, the 0.33-ounce pans are HUGE! — about the same size as a typical face powder compact.

Step right up! Versatility here! I’ve worn these as bronzers, blushes and also as highlighters. You can also apply them to bare shoulders and legs to add a hint of shimmer there (I use a large fluffy brush).

Chanel’s bronzers, which of course cost considerably more, do seem finer. Sometimes, I can see the grains in these NYX Bronzers sitting on top of my skin, although buffing with a kabuki brush definitely helps the powder settle.

If you’re going through a bout of dry, flaky skin on your face, you may want to wait until it passes, as I’ve noticed that these will seek out and emphasize any flakes on my skin.

As for wear time, I get between 4-6 hours.

Chanel might have these beat with finer grains and a softer consistency — the Illuminating Bronzers also don’t seem to last as long as Chanel’s $60 bronzer — but for a $9 product- Bravo, NYX. Quite an impressive feat.

If you’re a budget lover looking for a similar look for less, these should hit the spot.

PRICE: $9 eachAVAILABILITY: Available now at drugstores and nyxcosmetics.comMAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B+

And after a successful hunt, the pieces in this pride of LORAC lionesses retreat to the safety of their very own canvas-like carrying case. The purse comes with the collection and holds everything a big cat needs — makeup, iPhone, perfume, hand/paw lotion. Ya know, the usual.

In case you’re wondering, the striped pattern on the pan of Wild for TANtalizer Bronzing Powder is an overspray…

Swatches from the left: Wild for TANTtalizer eye Shadow in Fierce, Tigris, Panthera and Saber; Wild for TANTtalizer Bronzing Powder, and TANTtalizer Lips With Benefits in Raoul

Getting to know the $39 LORAC Wild for TANtalizer Collection…

I hope you’re in the mood to shimmer, because everything here does it. The collection, which is more a kit, since everything comes together, seriously shimmers, so there’s not a lot of variety in terms of finish

Fallout hasn’t been an issue for the eyeshadows, which is nice, and I find them easy to apply and blend

I recommend using a light touch to apply these products, as I’ve noticed that when I go a little too far, they highlight my fine lines and wrinkles

The peachy golden bronzer also doubles as a blush (score one for flexibility!)

Oh, as a side, Raoul and I are in love… Yup, Raoul is the lipgloss. He looks fantastic as a peachy bronze in the nude, LOL!

PRICE: $39AVAILABILITY: Available now at Sephora and sephora.comMAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: A-

I think Beth Ditto looks like fun! Very pop art, and how can you not love polka dots- The 24-piece collection for eyes, lips, nails and face features a brand-spanking new line of products called the Shade & Smoke Shadow/Liners ($22 each), four dual-tipped pencils with an Eye Shadow on one end and a Greasepaint Liner on the other.

Should be perfect for smokey eyes.

BOOYAH!!

Literally. That’s the name of one of the five Pro Longwear Lipcremes in the release…BOOYAH!! Written like that in all caps with two exclamation marks.

Beep-beep-beep! Pardon me, but I think I hear the ’90s calling me on my pager, haha.

The second launch, a 17-piece release called Casual Colour, seems like my kind of collection, casual weekend colors for eyes, lips, cheeks and nails. For starters, I love the tagline, “Stilettos, Off! Hair, Down!” But I would have added one more thing (“Stretchy Pants, On!”).

The collection also introduces the Lip and Cheek Colour Pots ($20 each), another new product for MAC.

I’m sensing a potentially good multitasker… I sure hope the eight shades deliver.

Designed to clean and condition dry, processed hair, it suds up into a lather like a regular soap bar but also contains a whole slew of moisturizing oils, as well as shea butter and other botanicals like hibiscus, jasmine and gardenia.

As you can probably imagine, the directions make it sound pretty easy to use. Just wet your mane, run the bar across it a few times to get a good lather going, shampoo as usual, and rinse.

Sounds easy enough, right- But so do many 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner products, even the ones that leave my already dry, wavy, highlighted hair a tangled mess of crispy fried noodles…

That’s where the testing comes in.

The first time I brought the bar into the shower with me I said, “WOW!” Talk about serious bubbles. And the scent- Trademark Lush. A big, bold tour de force of jasmine flowers, one of my favorite floral scents.

I dunno why, but I was really surprised that a solid shampoo would whip into such a frothy foam. Looking at this one, I just get a different vibe from it, almost like a loofah or a bath salt.

Then I checked the ingredient list, and wouldn’t ya know it- Right there at the top of the list, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (or SLS).

A few interesting (at least to me) things about SLS, should you ever find yourself on Final Jeopardy! First, what is it-

Good question. SLS is an FDA-approved ingredient commonly found in personal care products like shampoos and even toothpaste.

It’s usually used as a surfactant — in a nutshell, it loosens bonds.

If you’ve ever used a bath/shower product that builds up into a sudsy lather, there’s a good chance it contained SLS.

Added to shampoo, SLS makes hair easier to clean by loosening the bonds that hold dirt and oil to your hair.

The ingredient came under some scrutiny in the late ’90s when an anonymous email circulated online claimed a link between a related compound, SLES, and cancer. SLES, or Sodium Laureth Sulfate, is like SLS’s more expensive, slightly unscrupulous cousin. Both compounds essentially do the same thing, but SLES is now much less commonly used (source: SNOPES).

Shortly after the email incident, several hair brands started rolling out SLS-free products, leading some to suggest that the whole thing was a marketing ploy designed to sell more shampoo (source: LEDA).

I guess the most important question is, “Should you avoid hair products containing SLS-” Well, that depends on whom you believe. Over the years, several reputable sources (including the American Cancer Society and the International Agency for Research on Cancer) have said that SLS is noncarcinogenic, meaning that it doesn’t cause cancer. At most, they say, it could cause some skin irritation, but only under certain circumstances for a small number of users (source: How Stuff Works).

As a product junkie, I like to try a little bit of everything, which in this case includes the LUSH Godiva Shampoo Bar.

For the record, here’s what LUSH has to say about Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.

I have mixed feelings about this bar…

On one hand, I love the jasmine scent and the sort of novelty of the bar, which is pretty small and fits in the palm of my hand. And I like the idea of being able to take it on plane trips without having to use up precious space reserved for liquids in my carry-on Ziploc bags.

Plus, it works! — which I guess is the whole reason for its existence. After using it, my hair feels squeaky clean, tangle-free, and looks bouncy, shiny and bright.

But it’s also a little thirsty, so that’s a drawback. As a conditioner, I don’t think it’s robust enough for my dry hair, and I feel like following it up with a dedicated conditioner.

The addition of SLS — actually, with it listed as the first ingredient — does strike me as a little unusual for LUSH, but it is followed by a long list of bodacious, more easily recognizable botanicals.

PRICE: $10.95AVAILABILITY: Available now at LUSH stores and lush-usa.comMAKEUP AND BEAUTY BLOG RATING: B

For someone so down to earth, South Africa-born Charlize Theron (born August 7, 1975) will be spending a lot of time in space this year. The Oscar winning actress plays a beautiful bureaucrat, a secretive suit who works for the nefarious company aboard the spaceship Prometheus in Ridley Scott’s upcoming Alien prequel.

But before the ship takes off on June 8, she has to contend with Snow White and her handsome huntsman first in Snow White and the Huntsman, opening June 1. In the dark retelling of the famous fairy tale, which also stars Kristen Stewart as Snow White and Chris Hemsworth as Thor the huntsman, Charlize plays the magic-mirror-consulting evil queen, who this time around doesn’t have to pull her punches for a G-rated audience.

So she’s got these two certain blockbuster movies that are gonna be in theaters at the exact same time, but that’s not all the Oscar winner’s been up to. Charlize is also a new mom, having recently adopted a baby boy named Jackson.

Now that’s a busy spring. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen her look anything less than completely put together…except for maybe her character in Monster, but that was on purpose, LOL!